D5.3 Integrated report on EE IO related macro resource indicator time series
Stadler K, Wood R, Simas M, Bulavskaya T, Kuenen J, Fernández J A, Usubiaga A, Merciai S, Schmidt J, Theurl M C, Kastner T, Eisenmenger N, Giljum S, Lutter S, Lieber M, Wieland H, Tukker A (2015)
Publication info
Public deliverable from the DESIRE project. With contributions from project partners incl. Jannick Schmidt and Stefano Merciai, from 2.-0 LCA consultants.
Executive Summary
A key working hypothesis of DESIRE is that an Environmental Extended Multi Regional Input Output database (EE MRIO) is a very powerful way to store environmental, social and economic data for further analysis and indicator construction. The overall objective of work package 5 within DESIRE was to compile such a database assembling multiple data sources into one comprehensive description of the global economy and its environmental impacts. This report covers the development of this database: EXIOBASE 3. The report documents the compilation of the time series of Supply-Use tables (SUT), the data processing of the social and environmental satellite accounts and the assembly of the Multi Regional Supply-Use (MR SUT) and EE MRIO.
EXIOBASE 3 builds upon existing databases, which were developed in previous projects (EXIOBASE 1 – EXIOPOL, fp6: A. Tukker et al. 2013; EXIOBASE 2 – CREEA, fp7: Wood et al. 2014). In EXIOBASE 3, the level of detail in the description of the economy is consistent with the previous version EXIOBASE 2, as is the implementation of the economic and environmental accounting principles proposed in the UN System of Economic and Environmental Accounts (European Commission et al. 2012). The geographic focus of EXIOBASE 3 is kept at the country level of the EU (now including the new member state Croatia), with adequate description of major non-EU economies. That ensures that reasonable estimates of resource efficiencies under consideration of upstream resource use of imports and exports can be provided.
EXIOBASE 3 pushes the state of the art in the field of global EE MRIOs. EXIOBASE exhibits a consistent sector classification of 200 products and 163 industries for all included countries and regions. The historic time series, ranging from 1995 to 2012, provide a description of the global economy consistent with international databases (“United Nations Statistics Division – National Accounts” 2013; FAO Statistics Division 2012; International Energy Agency 2012 etc.). To date, EXIOBASE 3 is the only nowcasted EE MRIO database, with time series running to 2016. Economic parameters of the now-casted years follow the estimates given by the International Monetary Fund (“IMF World Economic Outlook Database List” 2015). Trends in the change of the economic structure of SUT data are extrapolated from observed trends in the historic time series and resource usage is now-casted based on latest available resource efficiency data.
The new version of EXIOBASE provides policy-makers with a unique tool to assess the outcome of policies set in place to reduce environmental impacts and increase resource efficiency. With its high sectorial detail and the wide spectrum of environmental data consistently included in EXIOBASE, the now-casted EXIOBASE provides a very valuable tool for a range of environmental-economic assessments. Most importantly, EXIOBASE can assist in the implementation of the Resource Efficiency Roadmap (European Commission 2011a) both with economy-wide assessments, e.g. to produce aggregated headline indicators, as well as on assessments of the Roadmap’s priority areas, such as energy, food, buildings and mobility. EXIOBASE is also of high importance for assessments in the context of the transformation towards a competitive, low-carbon, economy (European Commission 2011b), as well as specific environmental strategies such as the EU Blueprint to safeguard Europe’s Waters (European Commission 2012) or EU’s biodiversity strategy (European Commission 2011c).